


Just Like Old Times

by Katieee



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Epic Friendship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, No Shepard without Vakarian, Post-War, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 04:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katieee/pseuds/Katieee
Summary: In the wake of the destruction of the Reapers, Isobel Shepard finds herself longing for the thrill of adventure once more. Garrus and Wrex, needing a break of their own, convince her to ditch her latest assignment for one last voyage through the galaxy.The trip promises action, excitement, and a chance for the trio to dust off their weapons - and if Shepard can stop pining for her best friend, she might even enjoy herself.





	Just Like Old Times

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chanify](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanify/gifts).



> Hello! I answered a prompt over on [my tumblr](https://agentkatie.tumblr.com/) about Shepard, Garrus and Wrex going on an adventure together - and I got a little bit carried away thinking about it. So here we go! A post-war, pre-relationship adventure with the dream team. Enjoy!
> 
> (Written in response to [this prompt](https://agentkatie.tumblr.com/post/173743649925/i-dont-know-if-its-easy-for-you-to-think-about) \- **warning, here be spoilers**!)

Isobel Shepard never thought she’d miss the War. She never thought she’d miss the Alliance’s measly rations, or the sleepless nights, or running for her life through explosions and chaos. She never thought she’d miss being shot at and Charged at and having her shields overloaded, and she certainly never thought she’d miss the anxiety of watching her friends go through the same. But she did. Life on Earth had never suited her - she’d never felt at home without the hum of an engine beneath her feet - but this _was_ her home now; the best posting for the Hero of the Galaxy was on the planet she’d never really known, an icon and an inspiration but not really _Shepard_ anymore. No longer a warrior; not even a soldier. Just window-dressing. Picture perfect, silent, and alone.

These moments of yearning came into even sharper focus with every new mission she was given - although _mission_ was a rather optimistic term for the work the Alliance now assigned her. On its face, two weeks in Rio helping with relief efforts sounded like just the respite she needed, but she’d been on enough of these trips to know what they really entailed; a photo op at a reconstruction site before being whisked away to meetings and grand re-openings, wining and dining and doing her very best not to appear utterly bored. As if saving the universe had suddenly granted her the ability to be a diplomat.

She sighed, minimising the email on her omni and opening up her comm channel instead; her fingers hesitated over the name _Mom_ before scrolling for the person she actually wanted to talk to. 

The only person she ever wanted to talk to, really.

“Hey, Garrus.”

The turian’s face sparked and crackled before finding focus, and though the image was small and grainy the familiarity of it sent a wave of relief washing through Shepard; she smiled, for what felt like the first time in a month, her tension all but forgotten in the flickering glow of her old friend. 

“Hey, Shepard. Get your assignment?”

“Yeah. Two weeks in Rio.”

“Two weeks is manageable. Who knows; maybe they’ll let you do some heavy lifting this time.”

She scoffed. “Doubt it. Funny how, out of all the places in need of relief, they send me where they’ve just renovated N-school.” She sighed again, scrubbing at her brow as she fought to push down her bitterness once more. “How’s it going with you?”

His expression shifted, the lightness in his face fading as his mandibles tightened into a grimace. “Dad wants me to attend some summit on weapons regulations in Cipritine next week. I think it’s his way of keeping me out of trouble.” He shook of head, a hoarse bark of laughter escaping him. “Remind me; when did we become politicians?”

“Around the time we ran out of things to shoot, I think.”

“Almost makes you miss the Reapers, doesn’t it?” he said, and though she wouldn’t go _that_ far she understood the sentiment. “I do miss you, though.”

The words make her jolt, an unexpected pang she’d long thought quashed accompanying her heart for a singular beat. “You do?” she asked hesitantly.

“Every day. All that running, shooting, that time we had to fight your clone; when I wasn’t scared for my life, I loved it. Even when I was scared for my life, actually.” He tilted his head to one side, mandibles fanning out in a grin. “Come on; don’t tell me you don’t miss it.”

And she did, of course; but the truth, if she allowed herself to consider it just this once, was that she missed him more. 

Because it had always been Garrus. Garrus had been there through it all; had stood beside her through fire and fury, had followed her into certain death and emerged the other side victorious. Had begged to go with her at the last. Had reassured her, comforted her, told her exactly what she needed to hear to keep fighting. It was him, and him alone, with whom she could just be _Isobel_ ; who she could allow to see the person underneath the visage of Shepard, without judgement, or fear. With whom she could be just a little bit broken, and still have him trust her all the same.

Yes; it had always been Garrus. She just hadn’t realised until far too late.

And now the nag in her heart was simply something she had to ignore - because he was her friend above all else, and because he was already happy without her. The compartmentalisation of her feelings came surprisingly easy most days; some days, she hardly thought of him at all. Or, perhaps more accurately, some days she was very good at not thinking about him. But today was not one of those days, it seemed; today her heart had skipped at the thought of him missing her, and abruptly crashed on realising it was not _her_ but the Normandy he missed. The adventure, and the action. What she’d once offered, but not her.

“Sure, I miss it,” she shrugged. “But I—”

“Hold up; I’ve got another call,” he said, distractedly tapping on his omni offscreen.

“Who is it?”

“Wrex.” His continued friendship with Wrex was as surprising to Shepard as it was heartwarming; from what she understood, the pair spoke almost as regularly as she and Garrus did, theirs a bond not even their still-tense interspecies politics could break. “Should I connect him in?”

“Go ahead.”

Another image flickered to life beside Garrus, a distinctly disgruntled-looking Wrex coming into view as he yelled at someone over his shoulder. “— _told_ you not to headbutt each other. Sorry Garrus, just give me— put the lamp _down_!”

There was a loud crash offscreen, followed by a great deal of grumbling by Wrex as he moved out of view, muttering something that sounded like _wait til I tell your mother_ as he attempted to herd his offspring from the room. With an emphatic slam of a door he came back into focus, a look of such despair written across his face Shepard almost pitied him.

“They fighting again?” Garrus asked.

“Krogan instinct,” Wrex shrugged. “I’m trying to train them out of it. Can’t have them shooting each other before they’re ten. Shepard,” he nodded at her by way of greeting before speaking to Garrus once more. “You tell her about our idea yet?”

“I was getting to it.”

“You two have been having ideas again?” Shepard arched an eyebrow at them. “That sounds dangerous.”

“You’ll like this one, Shepard,” Wrex told her. “It’s better than that home security thing.”

“Which I still think we could make work, but— we’re going on a trip, Shepard. And it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“What sort of trip?”

“Just a relaxing trip to the Terminus Systems,” Garrus said. “Flying around, finding trouble—”

“Shooting things,” Wrex interjected.

“Yeah - you know. Just like old times.”

It sounded awfully tempting - just what she’d been dreaming of during her extended groundside tour - but, as much as she wanted to join them, she still had a responsibility to Earth. “I can’t just up and leave,” Shepard told them. “The Alliance—”

“What are they gonna do; fire you?” Wrex scoffed. “Those pyjaks wouldn’t dare cut the Hero of the Galaxy loose.” There was always a hint of sarcasm when either of the pair used her new and grandiose moniker, a gentle needling with the title they knew she scorned; she wouldn’t have put up with it from anyone else but them. “Besides, you’ve earned a break.”

“Tell them it’s Spectre business,” Garrus suggested. “Top secret; you can’t disclose anything more.”

“You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?” They said nothing - their silence and slight shrug of their shoulders all the confirmation she needed - and so she turned to Wrex. “And what does Eve think about you leaving her alone with the kids?”

“She says she’ll ‘have more peace with me gone’,” Wrex grumbled, almost childlike himself as he folded his arms petulantly across his chest. “So - you in?”

She hesitated for only a moment as she considered her duty once more, the memory of her last assignment - of a long and painfully dull weekend playing host to the President of France - spurring her to decision. “Just like old times?” she asked, and Garrus nodded.

“Just like old times,” he agreed.

She grinned then, an almost-forgotten expression which made her cheeks ache from lack of use, hastily pledging her participation as her mind raced ahead to star charts and supplies. They’d need a ship, too - it was unlikely she’d be able to requisition an Alliance cruiser to gad about with a turian and a krogan - but she had some contacts from the War who’d be able to fix her up; a vessel big enough for the three of them, but not so big they required a crew.

It would take some organising, and she doubted the pair had given much thought to the minutiae of their plan, but that was where her expertise lay.

And as long as she didn’t think about Garrus too much during their time away, she’d be fine.


End file.
